Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan, U.S Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, urging both nations to exercise restraint and explore pathways for de-escalation. Secretary Rubio also offered US support in initiating constructive dialogue to prevent future conflicts, according to a spokesperson from the U.S Department of State.
Read more: The meaning behind “Bunyan-um-Marsoos” and why Pakistan chose it for its military operation
The recent escalation started on Wednesday when India carried out airstrikes in Pakistan’s territory following an attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region. Pakistan responded on Saturday with a major military operation targeting multiple Indian military installations, including a missile storage site in northern India.
The clashes, which have involved missiles, drones, and intense exchanges of fire along the Line of Control (LoC), mark the worst violence between the two nations in nearly three decades. The conflict has claimed over 50 lives so far.
Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that they struck key military targets, including the BrahMos missile storage site near Beas, Pathankot airfield in Punjab, and Udhampur Air Force Station in Kashmir. Codenamed “Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos,” the military operation’s objective was to neutralize locations allegedly used to target Pakistan while avoiding civilian casualties.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal confirmed on local media that they took special measures to limit harm to non-combatants. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Information Minister emphasized the operation’s focus on strategic targets.
Simultaneously, Secretary Rubio reached out to Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to advocate for restraint. Reportedly, Dar informed the US official that Pakistan was open to finding resolutions but warned that continued Indian aggression would result in a stronger response from Pakistan.
Adding to the heightened state of alert, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has convened the National Command Authority, which oversees decisions regarding the nation’s nuclear arsenal.
Earlier, in a late-night live address, Director General ISPR Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry stated that Indian missiles had targeted three Pakistani air bases, though most were intercepted without damage to any critical assets. The facilities targeted included the Nur Khan air base near Islamabad, a key site for receiving foreign dignitaries.
DG ISPR concluded his televised address with a pointed warning to India, saying, “Now you just wait for our response.”
